Energy converter

ABSTRACT

An energy converter comprising a free piston engine with a cylinder ( 2 ), a piston ( 3 ), a body connected to the piston such as an armature ( 11 ) of a linear electric generator ( 10 ). The energy converter comprises a spring device ( 15 ), via which the armature ( 11 ) is springingly connected to the housing ( 1 ), and which is arranged to permit an oscillation of the armature ( 11 ) in the piston&#39;s ( 3 ) direction of movement with a natural frequency f c  relative to the stator ( 12 ).

The present invention relates to an electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus which is used as, for example a fluid pump.

Fundamental construction of one example of a conventional electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus, which is used as a fluid pump (compressor, vacuum pump), is shown in FIG. 1. The conventional apparatus comprises: electromagnet 100, which is consisted of iron core 100 a and coil 100 b and repeats magnetization and demagnetization for one cycle of AC current; piston assembly 102, which includes magnetic material member 102 a to be drawn by magnetized electromagnet 100, and front and rear pistons 102 b, 102 c disposed before and behind magnetic material member 102; front and rear cylinders 104, 106 for supporting front and rear pistons 102 b, 102 c of piston assembly 102; and a compression elastic member, wherein that is compression coil spring 108, which is compressed by piston assembly 102 moved in a forward direction (movement in a rightward direction in FIG. 1) by magnetic action of electromagnet 100 and moves piston assembly 102 in a backward direction (movement in a leftward direction in FIG. 1) by elastic force when electromagnet 102 is demagnetized.

In the electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus of this kind, operation efficiency becomes maximum when a vibration system having piston assembly 102 and elastic member (coil spring 108) is reciprocated in a resonance state.

More specifically, piston assembly 102 is reciprocated in the resonance state and an amplitude of reciprocating movement thereof is maximum when the following equation (1) is satisfied. That is, maximum operation efficiency of the electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus can be obtained. $\begin{matrix} {F = {\frac{1}{2\quad \pi}\sqrt{\frac{{Ks} + {Kf}}{M}}}} & (1) \end{matrix}$

where

F: the frequency of the commercial electric power source (the number of pluses of DC power source)

M: the mass of piston assembly 102

Kf: the spring constant of a gas sealed in a sealed space 104 a formed in front cylinder 104 partitioned by front piston 104

Ks: the spring constant of coil spring 108 compressed by rear piston 102 c

In a case that the electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus is used in different areas in which the commercial AC current have different frequency Fa, Fb (for example, Fa>Fb) to each other, at first, value of the spring constant (Ks+Kfa) of coil spring 108 and a gas in sealed space 104 a, and the mass (M) of piston assembly 102 are set up in order to satisfy the following equation (2) and then make piston assembly 102 reciprocate in maximum amplitude of vibration in the area of frequency Fa. $\begin{matrix} {{Fa} = {\frac{1}{2\quad \pi}\sqrt{\frac{{Ks} + {Kfa}}{M}}}} & (2) \end{matrix}$

where:

Kfa: the spring constant of a gas in sealed space 104 a when the frequency is Fa

Then, in a case that the electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus, in which the various values are set as disclosed above, is used in the area of another frequency Fb, the following equation (3) is introduced. $\begin{matrix} {{Fb} > {\frac{1}{2\pi}\sqrt{\frac{{Ks} + {Kfb}}{M}}}} & (3) \end{matrix}$

where:

Kfb: the spring constant of a gas in sealed space 104 a when the frequency is Fb

From the equation (3), it becomes clear that piston assembly 102 can not reciprocate in the resonance state because either the spring constant (Ks+Kfb) is too small or the mass (M) of piston assembly 102 is too big.

Therefore, in Japan which is divided into two areas having the frequency of 50 Hz and 60 Hz of the commercial electric power sources, in order to make the conventional apparatus of the kind obtain the most preferably resonance state in the different frequency areas, the piston weight and the spring constant of coil spring (the elastic member) 108 are changed. This cause troubles that a manufacturing of various kinds of vibration systems having resonance frequency which are consistent with various kinds of frequency of the commercial electric power sources, and an independent storage of various kinds of vibration systems are needed.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has as its object to provide an electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus which can easily adjust the resonance frequency of a vibration system consisted of the piston assembly and the compression elastic member, etc. without changing the piston weight and the spring constant, and can easily adjust the resonance frequency of the vibration system at a place in which the electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus is used.

The fundamental construction of the electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus 10 of this invention for dissolving the above stated problems is shown in FIG. 2. This electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus 10 comprises: electromagnet 12 which is consisted of iron core 12 a and coil 12 b and repeats magnetization and demagnetization for one cycle of AC current or for one pulse of DC current; piston assembly 14 which includes magnetic material member 14 a to be drawn by magnetized electromagnet 12, and front and rear pistons 14 b, 14 c disposed before and behind magnetic material member 14 a; frond and rear cylinders 16, 18 for supporting front and rear pistons 14 b, 14 c; and a compression elastic member, wherein that is compression coil spring 20, which is compressed by piston assembly 14 moved in a forward direction (movement in a rightward direction in FIG. 2) by magnetic action of electromagnet 12 and moves piston assembly 14 in a backward direction (movement in a leftward direction in FIG. 2) by elastic force when electromagnet 12 is demagnetized. An air hole 21 is mounted on rear cylinder 18 to communicate a sealed space partitioned in rear cylinder 18 by rear piston 14 c of piston assembly 14 with the outside of rear cylinder 18, and valve means 22 is mounted on air hole 21 to adjust a resonance frequency of the vibration system having piston assembly 14 and compression coil spring 20.

In fluid working chamber 16 a which is disposed in front cylinder 16 so as to be expanded and reduced its volume by the reciprocal movement of piston assembly 14, fluid suction valve 16 c for sucking fluid into fluid working chamber 16 a in a volume expansion process of fluid working chamber 16 a, and fluid exhaust valve 16 d for exhausting fluid from fluid working chamber 16 a in a volume reduction process are mounted.

In electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus 10 constructed as described above, the adjustment of opening of valve means 22 causes a sympathetic vibration of piston assembly 14 by the different electric power sources having different frequency.

It is preferable that the valve means is formed on an end wall of a housing the inner space of which communicates with the atmosphere, one end of the air hole is open to the sealed space of the rear cylinder and the other end is open at the outer end face of end wall of housing, and the inner space of the housing is open on the outer end face of end wall of housing at a position near to the other end of the air hole. It is also preferable that the valve means comprises a cap-like valve casing hermetically mounted on the outer end face of end wall of housing so as to cause an end face opening of the inner space of the valve casing to cover the other end of the air hole and the opening of the inner space of the housing, and a valve body arranged in the inner space of the valve casing so as to be movable between a closed position where communication between the other end of the air hole and the opening of the inner space of the housing through the inner space of the valve casing is interrupted and an open position where communication between the other end of the air hole and the opening of the inner space of the housing through the inner space of the valve casing is allowed.

The valve means having the structure as described above can be easily assembled in or disassembled from the electromagnetically driven reciprocating apparatus so as to perform repair and inspection.

In the electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus of this invention constructed as described above, it is preferable that the valve body of the valve means is accommodated in the inner space of the valve casing so as to pivot about an axis extending along the axis of the rear cylinder and is movable between the open and closed positions upon pivotal movement thereof, and the valve body includes an operation pin extending from the inner space of the valve casing in a direction along the axis thereof and exposed on an outer surface of the valve casing.

This valve means is more compact and has better operability.

When the electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus of this invention is constructed as described above, it is preferable that the compression elastic member is a compression coil spring arranged in the rear cylinder. When the compression elastic member is arranged as described above, the electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus can be made more compact.

Therefore, an electromagnetically reciprocating compressor or vacuum pump of this kind, which can be used in Japan having two areas in which the frequencies of commercial electric power sources are 50 Hz and 60 Hz, produces a sympathetic vibration of the vibration system by DC current pulse or AC current, having frequency between 50 Hz and 60 Hz, when the following (1) to (4) steps are practiced in the following order.

(1) The weight (M) of piston assembly 14 and the spring constant (Ks) of coil spring 20 are set up to make piston assembly 14 sympathetically vibrate at 50 Hz (specific frequency).

(2) The volume of sealed space 18 a in the rear side is set up to make a gas in sealed space 18 a has a spring constant (Kr) which produces sympathetic vibration at 60 Hz (desired frequency).

(3) Air hole 21, having an enough opening area so as not to resist the sympathetic vibration at 50 Hz, is mounted on rear cylinder 18.

(4) Valve means 22 is mounted on air hole 21. After execution of the above steps (1) to (4), the vibration system can sympathetically vibrate either at 50 Hz or at 60 Hz by adjusting the opening of valve means 22.

In the electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus of this invention, the resonance frequency of vibration system can be adjusted by every easy operation. That is, the movement of piston assembly can be adjusted to make a maximum vibration (resonance frequency state), which is preferable in the usage of the apparatus in the areas having different frequency of AC current, by the only adjustment of valve means without the changing of piston weight and the spring constant to make the resonance frequency of vibration system be inconsistent with the frequency of supplied electric current.

Further, the possibility of adjustment described above produces a very superior technical advantages that a fluid pump of high performance is easily gained even if the piston weight and the spring contact have a slight variation.

This invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematical view showing a fundamental construction of conventional electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a schematical view showing a fundamental construction of electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the electromagnetically reciprocating pump according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a piston assembly of the pump is located at a top dead center;

FIG. 4 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the electromagnetically reciprocating pump shown in FIG. 3, wherein the piston assembly is located at a bottom dead center;

FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 are a front view, a longitudinal sectional view, and a rear view, respectively, of a valve casing of valve means mounted on the pump; and

FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 are a front view, a longitudinal sectional view, and a rear view, respectively, of a valve body of the valve means mounted on the pump.

In FIG. 3, a fluid pump as one embodiment of the electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus according to the inventions is shown. Electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 3 comprises: electromagnet 12 which is consisted of iron core 12 a and coil 12 b and repeats magnetization and demagnetization for one cycle of AC current or for one pulse of DC current; piston assembly 14 which includes magnetic material member 14 a to be drawn by magnetized electromagnet 12, and front and rear pistons 14 a, 14 c disposed before (in the leftward direction in FIG. 3) and behind (in the rightward direction in FIG. 3) magnetic material member 14; front and rear cylinders 16, 18 for supporting front and rear pistons 14 b, 14 c through cylinder liners 16 b, 18 b; compression coil spring 20 which is compressed by piston assembly 14 drawn by magnetic action of electromagnet 12 to move in forward direction (movement in a rightward direction in FIG. 3) and moves piston assembly 14 in a backward direction (movement in a leftward direction in FIG. 3) by elastic force when electromagnet 12 is demagnetized; front-side fluid working chamber 16 a which is formed by front piston 14 b, front cylinder 16, and front cover 24, and repeats expansion and decreasing of its volume by the reciprocal movement of piston assembly 14 to press air and to exhaust the pressed air through a fluid exhaust port not shown; rear-side sealed space 18 a which is formed by rear piston 14 c and rear cylinder 18, and repeats decreasing and expansion of its volume by the reciprocal movement of piston assembly 14; air opening 21 for communicating rear-side sealed space 18 with an outer space; and valve means 22 for adjusting the degree of air flow between rear-side sealed space 18 a and the outer space through air hole 21. Valve body 22 a of valve means 22 is guided by valve casing 22 b to be pivotable. One end of compression coil spring 20 is supported by a closed end of indented portion 26 formed on the end face of rear piston 14 c, and the other end thereof is supported by spring support 28. Spring support 28 is placed on adjustment screw 32 through ball 30, and adjustment screw 32 is threadably engaged in end wall 34 of rear cylinder 18 to adjust compression strength of compression coil spring 20. Lock nut 38 is threadably fitted on the outer-projected end of adjustment screw 32 through washer 36 to lock adjustment screw 32 on end wall 34 of rear cylinder 18.

A housing of electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus 10 is constructed by front housing member 42 with stepped aperture 40 and rear housing member 48 with aperture 46 having the same diameter as that of large-diameter portion 44 of stepped aperture 40 of front housing member 42. Rear housing member 48 is coaxially fixed to front housing member 42 such that aperture 46 is adjacent to large-diameter portion 44 of stepped aperture 40 of front housing member 42.

A small-diameter portion of stepped aperture 40 serves as front cylinder 16 for front piston 14 b. The end portion of front cylinder 16 which is far away from large-diameter portion 44 is closed by cylinder head member 24 fixed to front housing member 42. A fluid suction valve 16 c and fluid exhaust valve 16 d both of which are shown in FIG. 2 are mounted on cylinder head member 24. Aperture 46 of rear housing member 48 is opened to atmospheric air through an opening (not shown).

Cylindrical rear cylinder 18 is formed on the end wall of rear housing member 48 so as to be coaxial to the axis of aperture 46 in aperture 46 of rear housing member 48. The end wall of rear housing member 48 constructs end wall 34 of rear cylinder.

Air hole 21 is formed in end wall 34 of rear housing member 48. One end of air hole 21 is open to rear-side sealed space 18 a defined between the end face of rear piston 14 c and end wall 34 of rear housing member 48, and the other end of which is open on the outer end face of end wall 34. Second air hole 50 is also formed in end wall 34. One end of second air hole 50 is open to the inner space of rear housing member 48 in the radially outward portion than rear cylinder 18. The other end of second air hole 50 is open on the outer end face of end wall 34 at a position near the other end of first air hole 21.

Valve means 22 is formed on the outer end face of end wall 34 to control a flow rate of a fluid between rear-side sealed space 18 a of rear cylinder 18 and an inner space (this inner space is communicated with atmospheric air through the above-mentioned opening (not shown)) of rear housing member 48 through first and second air holes 21 and 50.

Valve casing 22 b of valve means 22 is formed to have a cap-shape which is detachably and hermetically fixed to the outer end face of end wall 34 so as to cover both the openings of first and second-air holes 21 and 50 at the outer end face of end wall 34. Disc-like valve body reception recess 52, as best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, is formed in the inner space of valve casing 22 b opposing, as shown in FIG. 3, both the openings of first and second air holes 21 and 50 at the outer end face of end wall 34. Valve body 22 a having a substantially disc-like shape, as best shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, is fitted in recess 52, as shown in FIG. 3. Fluid flow recess 54 is formed in the lower half on one end face of valve body 22 a. Operation pin 56 extending in an axial direction of valve body 22 a is integrally formed on the central portion of the other end face of valve body 22 a. Operation pin 56 is inserted in through hole 58 (best shown in FIGS. 5 to 7) formed at the center of the bottom surface of recess 52 of valve casing 22 b and is exposed outside valve casing 22 b. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, slot 60 is formed on the exposed end of operation pin 56 so as to be fitted with a screwdriver (not shown).

When the screwdriver (not shown) is rotated in one or the other direction after the tip of the screwdriver is engaged with slot 60, valve body 22 a is rotated in valve body reception recess 52 of valve casing 22 b in one or the other direction. Upon rotation, valve body 22 a can move between an open position where fluid flow recess 54 corresponds to first and second air holes 21 and 50 shown in FIG. 3 and a closed position where an upper half (FIG. 8), on which fluid path recess 54 is not formed, on the one end face of valve body 22 a corresponds to the first and second air holes 21 and 50.

When valve body 22 a is located in the open position, as shown in FIG. 3, rear-side sealed space 18 a of rear cylinder 18 communicates with an inner space (this space is communicated with atmospheric air through the above-mentioned opening (not shown)) of rear housing member 18 through first and second air holes 21 and 50. However, when valve body 22 a is located at the closed position, communication between rear-side sealed space 18 a of rear cylinder 18 and the inner space (this inner space is communicated with atmospheric air through the above-mentioned opening (not shown)) of rear housing member 18 through first and second air holes 21 and 50 is inhibited.

Therefor, when apparatus 10 is used in an area in which the frequency of commercial electric power source is 50 Hz, at first, valve body 22 a is disposed at the open position to make first air hole 21 open, and then half-wave rectified AC current or DC current pulses is supplied to apparatus 10 to drive it. And, when apparatus 10 is used in an area in which the frequency of commercial electric power source is 60 Hz, at first, valve body 22 a is disposed at the closed position to make first air hole 21 close, and then above described AC or DC current is supplied to apparatus 10.

When electromagnet 12 is energized, magnetic material member 14 a is drawn in the rightward direction in FIG. 3 to move piston assembly 14 in the forward direction (movement in the rightward direction in FIG. 3), thereby coil spring 20 is compressed, as shown in FIG. 4. At the same time, the volume of fluid working chamber 16 a of front cylinder 16 is expanded, and fluid suction valve 16 c shown in FIG. 2 is opened to suck air into fluid working chamber 16 a.

Then, when electromagnet 12 is deenergized, piston assembly 14 is moved in the backward direction (movement in the leftward direction in FIG. 4) by elastic force of coil spring 20. At this time, the volume of fluid working chamber 16 a is decreased while air in fluid working chamber 16 a is compressed. When pressure of air in fluid working chamber 16 a reaches at a predetermined value, fluid exhaust valve 16 d shown in FIG. 2 is opened to exhaust pressurized air in fluid working chamber 16 a.

As described above, owing to repetition of magnetization and demagnetization in electromagnet 12, pressurized fluid is supplied to air consuming source connected to the fluid exhaust port not shown in which fluid exhaust valve 16 d is mounted or air is sucked from a pressure reduction system connected to the fluid suction port not shown in which fluid suction valve 16 c is mounted.

Even if this electromagnetically driven reciprocating fluid pump is used in different areas in which frequency of commercial electric power sources are different from each other, the pump can reciprocates piston assembly 14 with maximum amplitude (in the sympathetic vibration state) in every areas by adjusting degree of opening of valve member 22 a which is mounted to correspond to rear-side sealed space 18 a of rear cylinder 18.

In the above described explanation, electromagnetically reciprocating apparatus 10 is used in the two areas in which frequency of commercial AC electric power sources are 50 Hz and 60 Hz. However, apparatus 10 may be used in the other area, in which frequency of commercial AC electric power source is between 50 Hz and 60 Hz, by stepless regulation of valve body 22 a to adjust the opening of first air hole 21. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An energy converter comprising: a stationary part with a combustion chamber with an opening having a circumferential opening edge portion; a movable part having a first end which is facing away from the opening and an axially opposite second end with a circumferential edge portion which is adapted to abut the edge portion of the stationary part and thereby close the opening, the movable part being axially displaceable away from the stationary part responsive to explosion or detonation of an explodable or detonable material within the combustion chamber; and a body which is connected to the first end of the movable part via an element having a spring-like resiliency in the axial direction, and which is adapted to be brought to a free oscillatory movement in the axial direction wider the influence of the element after a temporary axial displacement of the movable part, the movable part being adapted to be biased by the element towards the opening and to abut the opening edge portion, and to be moved away from the opening edge portion against the influence of the element by a detonation of the material and thereby to open the combustion chamber.
 2. The energy converter according to claim 1, wherein the body is an armature of an electric linear generator.
 3. The energy converter according to claim 1, wherein the cross section area of the combustion chamber is increasing axially towards the opening. 